The use of a squeezable eye drop bottle for the application of fluids to the eye has become a daily occurrence for millions of people. A wide variety of solutions, both prescription and non-prescription are available for application to the eyes. Contact lens wearers in particular apply wetting and lubricating solutions to their eyes periodically each day. The general procedures for applying such solutions to the eye includes tilting your head back while trying to position the dropper opening of the bottle directly over the eye. Only those with a steady hand and a high degree of coordination can regularly apply the eye drop solution to the eye without missing the eye altogether occasionally and wasting the solution. Improper application also leads to an inaccurate amount of solution being administered to the eye which causes many people to apply an extra drop or two to make sure that at least the required amount was administered. There is also the serious danger of accidental physical contact of the bottle nozzle with the eye which can produce serious eye injury.
In view of the above-noted problems, a variety of devices have been developed over the years to facilitate the selfadministration of drops. However, none of these devices have been satisfactory. Many are expensive and difficult to use, while others may be misplaced between uses because they do not remain with the dispenser bottle.
Prior art devices have not recognized that a natural potential pooling reservoir exists at the nasal portion of the lids toward the nose, anatomically referred to as the nasal canthus. A drop placed in this position will enter the space between the lids and therefore the eye. Even if the lids are closed, the drop quickly moves into the space as soon as the lids are opened.
After measuring the distance from the top of the orbital rim down, and the distance out from the bridge of the nose on many patients, the dimensions for a guide to position the eye drop bottle tip at the optimum spot have been determined. These results call for a slightly elliptical shaped guide which is 16 mm in the vertical direction down from the orbital rim and 18 mm in the horizontal direction from the bridge of the nose.
When the device is placed against the side of the nose with the dropper tip aimed toward the eye, the drop is dispensed exactly into the nasal canthus. None of the other devices previously referred to seem to specifically aim at a given spot for dispensing a drop.
In view of the above, it can be seen that there is a need for an eye drop administration device which provides accurate positioning of the eye dropper bottle relative to the eye for placement of the eye drops into the eye. The disclosed invention provides just such a device which eliminates the difficulties associated with administration of eye drops using an eye drop bottle alone.